Clamp for electrical conductors



Aug. 14, 1951 D. H. OSBORNE 2,564,340

CLAMP FOR ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS Filed Aug. 9, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l I N VEN TOR. 1YOS5orzze Mam Patented Aug. 14, 1951 CLAMP FOR EhECTRICAL CONDUCTORS David H. Osborne, Limal N. 'Y., as'signor to The Porcelain Insulator Corporation, Lima, N. Y., a

corporation of New York Application August 9, 1949, Serial No. 109,351

. 1 y, 1 This invention relates to a clamp for electrical conductors, being intended more particularly for anchoring one end of a conductor, and has for its purpose to afford a practical and eificient'device" which can readily be applied to one end of'a conductor for securing it to any suitable insulato'r or anchor and which will hold the conductor firmly Without possibility of slippage or damage of any kind to the conductor.

More particularly the invention has for its object to afiord a structure in which the conductor is retained by clamping surfaces that are so constructed and arranged as to prevent cutting,

crushing, or otherwise injuring the conductor while at the same time holding it securely against possible slippage relatively to the clamp.

Still an additional purpose of the invention is to' aiford a clamp that can be used successfully with long lay multiple-strand conductors made up of a plurality of strands twisted together in such fashion that each strand makesa complete turn in approximately two inches, and affording clamping surfaces arranged oppositely one to the other and of sufiicient length to engage all of the strands forming the conductor, thus distributing the load or pressure on the conductor uniformly over relatively considerable length and over all of the strands, thus obviating crushing or cutting of any portion of the conductor. .7 v

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts that will appear clearly from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the novel features being pointed out in the claims following the specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation showing a preferred embodiment of the invention in normal position when clamped'to a long lay multiplestrand conductor for anchoring the same, the

' clamping bolt appearing in dotted lines in the position it occupies while positioning the conductor in the clamp; h

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the parts shown' in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation looking from right to left of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a detail view of the clamping bolt'j Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1 looking in thedirection indicated, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5 looking in the direction indicated. J

Referring more particularly-to the drawings in whicli'like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the several Qviews, the in- I 2 vention according to a preferred embodiment comprises a generally egg-shaped, integral metallic body including a peripheral seat I of V- shaped cross-section which extends from the top downwardly, rearwardly, and across the bottom of the body, in a continuous curve as shown to receive the conductor 2, which latter when clamped in position follows the curved path of the seat I, as shown in dotted lines in Fig.1.

Numeral 3 designates rearwardly extending flanges formed integral with the body at opposite sides thereof and spaced from each other to receive a pin 4 by which the clamp may be attached to a ring 5 carried by or attached to any suitable insulator mounted on a post or other element to which the conductor is to be anchored.

V The V-shaped seat terminates at the front part of the bottom of the body of the clamp where it merges into a clamping surface 6 formed on a lateral flange or extension I, the clamping surface 6 being of concave formation endwise, as shown in Fig. 5, and preferably terminating at its edge in an outwardly extending lip 8 which engages readily positioning a conductor for attachment by guiding the conductor into proper position in the clamp.

The flange I and endwise concaved seat 6 are arranged in a plane inclined to the plane containing the V-shaped seat I, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5, so that when the conductor is in clamped position, the vertical portion thereof extends upwardly in a plane ofiset slightly from the hori- -zontal portion of the conductor so as not to interfere at the point where they cross, and the flange Land concave clamping surface 6 are of such length as to embrace a substantial portion endwise of the conductor and to contact all of the strands of a long lay multiple-strand conductor,

so as to impose the load or pressure uniformly over a sufiicient length of the conductor to prevent crushing or cutting of any one strand or of any portion of the conductor.

" I of the conductor is held in the clamp by a clamping bolt that secures the conductor against the aforementioned clamping surface 6 of the flange 1.

To accomplish this, there is provided a bolt 9 that extends through an opening I I in the body of the clamp and is held in place on the clamp by suitable fastening nuts I2. 0n opposite sides of the opening II, the body of the clamp is pro- A vided with outwardly extending ears I3 W1 1 i 1 I4 designates a clamping head integral with, offset from and perpendicular to the bolt 9, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6 and provided with a clamping surface l5 that is of convex formation endwise of the clamping head M, as shown in Fig. 5, and of concave formation transversely as shown at IS in Fig. 6.

The clamping head I4 is of approximately the same effective length as the clamping surface 6 of the flange 1, and preferably about two inches in actual length which is approximately the length required to engage a substantial part of movement by the ears l3 engaging it on the opposite side and on either side of the bolt 9, as shown in Fig. 1. When it is desired to remove the conductor, upon loosening the nuts E2, the bolt 9 can be moved axially of the opening I l far enough so that the clamping head M can clear the ears l3, whereupon the bolt 9 and clamping head M can be turned through 180 until the clamping head M can assume a position on the opposite side of ears 13', as shown in Fig. 1. When in this position, a conductor can be applied to the clamp and properly positioned, whereupon the clamping bolt and head I4 are returned to clamping position, as illustrated in Fig. 1, and the nuts [2 tightened to hold the clamping head against the conductor with the latter securely held between the clamping surfaces 6 and 15, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5.

The invention provides an extremely efficient and practical clamp which may be readily applied to a conductor and acts to hold the conductor securely in relation to a fixed insulator or anchor, and by the provision of the clamping bolt with a clamping head of such length as to engage a substantial portion of the conductor endwise, or in the case of a long lay multiplestrand conductor having contact at least with all strands at some points thereof, a firm grip on the conductor is assured and the load or clamping pressure on the conductor is distributed uniformly lengthwise of the conductor as to insure against cutting, crushing, or otherwise damaging any part of'the conductor.

While the invention has been described with reference to-the particular embodiment shown, it is not confined to the precise details herein set forth and this application is intended to cover such modifications 'or' departures as may come within the purposes of the improvement or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a clamp for electrical conductors comprising a body having a peripheral seat terminating in a flange extending laterally from the body and provided with a clamping surface that is straight. laterally andv concave endwise, said body having a bolt opening to one. side of said clamping surface and said clamping surface being engageable with a conductor, the improvement which consists of an elongated bolt removably positionable in said bolt opening and having'an elongated clamping head offset to one side of and perpendicular to said bolt, the top of the clamping head being fiush with the top of the bolt and the clamping head having a clamping surface of convex formation endwise and concave formation crosswise engaging the conductor, the clamping surfaces on said flange and on said clamping head both having an effective length of approximately two inches and engaging all strands of a long lay multiple strand conductor, and spaced parallel ears on opposite sides of said bolt opening, said ears being perpendicular to and terminating short of said clamping head when the clamping head is in clamping or releasing position and said ears projecting outwardly beyond the bolt and clamping head with their opposite ends engaging the inner surface of the clamping head when in clamping and releasing positions respectively.

2. In a clamp for electrical conductors comprising a body having a peripheral seat terminating in a flange extending laterally from the body and provided with a clamping surface that is straight laterally and concave endwise, said body having a bolt opening to one side of said clamping surface and said clamping surface being engageable with a conductor, the improvement which consists of an elongated bolt removably positionable in said bolt opening and having an elongated clamping head offset to one side of and perpendicular to said bolt, the top of the clamping head being flush with the top of the bolt and the clamping head having a clamping surface of convex formation endwise and concave formation crosswise engaging the conductor, the clamping surfaces on said flange and on said clamping head both having an effective length of approximately two inches and engaging all strands of a long lay multiple strand conductor, parallel ears on opposite sides of said bolt opening having a length approximately equal to the diameter of the bolt opening and spaced throughout their lengths, said ears being perpendicular to and terminating short of said clamping head when the clamping head is in clamping or releasing position and said ears projecting out.- wardly beyond the bolt and clamping head with their opposite ends engaging the inner surface of the clamping head when in clamping and re,- leasing positions respectively and a lip on the outer edge of said flange extending outwardly beyond the conductor when the latter is in clamped position, the bolt and offset clamping head being rotatable and positionable with the clamping head on the rear side of said ears with the top of the clamping head beneath the tops of said ears when in releasing. position.

DAVID H. OSBORNE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Namev Date 1,002,113 Austin Aug. 29, 1911 1,378,667 Eckert May 17, 1921 1,901,349 Lapp Mar. 14, 1933 1,964,803 Alsaker July 3, 1934 2,026,260 Tarbox Dec. 31, 1935 2,031,236 Taylor Feb. 18, 1936 2,111,505 Card Mar. 15, 1938 2,196,320 Milne Apr. 9, 1940 2,418,565 Wohler Apr. 8, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 512,968 Germany Nov. 20, 1930 522,398 Germany Apr. 8, 1931 

